Ahhh…the last cheesecake of the year. It’s all good – we need a vacay. Some would say desperately. :-)

Biggest Disappointment: The returning stars’ dances

Courtney: It was actually painful to watch some of these :-( The Hoff belting the theme song to Baywatch while Kym, Peta, and another pro frolic about in red swimsuits? Margaret & Florence prancing around in the world’s tackiest costumes while the resident pocket-sized pros (Louis & Corky) gyrate around them? Rick & Kurt doing the requisite “Athlete vs. Athlete” paso doble in costumes in their old teams’ colors? Don’t even get me started on The Situation’s dance…if you can even call it that. It was more like an exercise in self-love and machismo. As for Brandy & Maks…*sigh* Yes, it was and still is a very cute quickstep, but seeing it for a 3rd time was a bit of a yawn for me. I know, I know, they allegedly “didn’t have any time” to choreograph something new – but from what I’ve seen of finale-hopefuls on the show in the past, some of them actually start working on their freestyle as soon as the show starts…they literally start brainstorming and choreographing from week 1. I was kinda hoping Brandy & Maks had maybe done the same thing and had at least a portion of their freestyle that they could have performed for us, especially since Bruno requested it. Oh well. I guess I should have expected to be let down by the returning celebs’ dances, since they’ve been on a pretty steady decline the past few seasons. I still shudder at that reprise of Kate’s paso last season :-(

Heidi: Well, at least the opening dance wasn’t the massive trainwreck that it was last season. I mean, that’s really all you can expect me to remember, right? :-) Seriously, I watched them again and I thought Anna’s dress was really cute and did you notice she had Kurt’s number inked in small numbers on her back?? Digging deep for something positive to say and I’m coming up pretty empty. :-) The Sitch’s was so bad that it wasn’t even cheesy – it was just bad.

The “Zip it!!!” Award: Bristol’s comment about giving the middle finger to all her “haters”

Courtney: Oy vey. If a good portion of viewers were like me, they probably let out a collective “D’oh!” and slapped their foreheads a la Homer Simpson when this gem slipped past Bristol’s lips in the confessional. Even Mark seemed to let out a little warning yip as she said it, as if saying “DUDE! DON’T TAKE IT THERE!” If there’s anything that I don’t think ANY competitor should do in the finals, it’s being anything less than gracious and polite – and this comment kinda stomped all over that. It just came across as a bit vindictive and actually kinda crass to me – and I don’t think it helped that she brought up her mom’s name. And even if she did win – I don’t think it would have been much of a proverbial “middle finger” to her “haters” (and while we’re at it, I’m totally sick of hearing that word – it just sounds dumb…can we agree on a suitable synonym? Naysayers? Detractors? Skeptics?), considering that it seemed a pretty widely-held opinion that Bristol did not deserve to win…at least based on merit. And I can just hear the Bristol defenders now, calling me a “hater” just because I don’t worship the ground she walks on. I’m only gonna say this once: Bristol seems like a decently nice girl, but I don’t think she’s a good dancer and I don’t think it was appropriate for her to make that comment. That is not “hating”; that is having a rational opinion of someone that doesn’t involve any sort of personal vendetta. I’d say the same thing about anyone else on the show who said the same thing and was not a good dancer. And spare me the crap about how “Bristol is just a kid!” and “How would you feel if you were in her shoes and getting all this hate?” I don’t think anyone that signs up for the show should get preferential treatment just because of their age – there have been several contestants younger than Bristol that have dealt with the pressure just fine. And signing up for a reality show of ANY kind basically guarantees a target on your back for ridicule…anyone that thinks otherwise is living in a dream world.

Heidi: I know right? Bristol, that poor “kid” with all the “haters” is laughing all the way to the bank after making about 350k on DWTS and charging 35k a pop at her speaking engagements. That’s very…motivational speakerish…of her. I would be very eager to help teens for that wage too. :-) My point, in talking about the cash, is that it just rings very false when she complains about haters. I’m sure there are actual haters out there (and no I don’t mean it in the bulls*^t way the immature tend to throw it around on this site and others when you don’t kiss someone’s butt), but they ALL have them – even the pros have “haters”. DEAL with it – you chose the public eye. I agree that she seems like a nice girl, but I didn’t like her behavior that last week (or recently) – SHE made it as much about politics and her mom as anyone did. My gripe was that she was NOT a good dancer, compared to several people who didn’t make it to the final. But it sure is convenient to cry politics for her fans, and quite hard to argue that she’s a great dancer. :-) And yes, I hate that word “haters” and how it’s used as well – very immature.

The “Gag me with a SPOON!!!” Award: Mark Ballas and his pre-cage dance pep talk to Bristol

Heidi: :::hurl, puke, gack::: Mark saying, “Be a bad bitch. A bad bitch. Gimme some SEX…” This, I’m sorry to say, took me to a place in Mark’s private life that I REALLY didn’t want to go. I mean, ick. I never thought I was the sensitive type, but hearing those words come out of his mouth really really…..disturbed me. And the tone of voice!! What the hell kind of pep talk is this? I’ve never been a prude (far from it, actually) but this was just…ick. They didn’t even put in the captioning with the first part – would the network get them for the written word and not the spoken one? Everytime I watch this little segment (the things I do for you people) I cringe all over again.

Courtney: *shudder* Glad I wasn’t the only one that thought that exchange was icky. I found it funny that he told her to “give him some sex” – isn’t that kinda counterproductive to her activisting? (Did you all catch the made up word? ;-)) And isn’t that what got her into trouble in the first place? Oh, the irony. And if any guy is gonna call me a bad bitch and ask for sex…I’m gonna need at least an expensive dinner and a good bottle of wine before I’m even gonna think about obliging, hehe. I would expect a bit more out of Mark…I mean, he is Mr. Romance…couldn’t he have sprinkled some rose petals in the cage and popped open some bubbly before making that request? Or perhaps recited some Shakespeare? :-P

Heidi: Activisting…hmmm, let me call Oxford, maybe you can get it added. :-) I hadn’t even thought of the irony – thank you, oh wise one, for taking my train of thought into the station at the end of the line. ;-)

The “SHOW MUST GO ON!!” Award: Jennifer Grey

Heidi: Girlfriend has cojones people – and Broadway in her blood, apparently. A ruptured disk, a day at the hospital, and still she dances. For all the people whining about her crying too much and some claims of her faking it, the woman is hurt enough to require surgery last week and still sucked it up and performed, and did NOT utter a word any of the 500 times that Brooke asked her if her body was holding up. To the point that Brooke gets her own award again. GET WELL SOON, JENNIFER!!!

Courtney: My heart jumped up into my throat when they brought her out at the beginning of the show to talk about her injury…I was like “Noooo! Don’t tell me she’s bowing out at the 11th hour!!! Soldier through, Jennifer, soldier though! You’re almost there!” And thankfully, she did. And I completely echo Heidi’s sentiments about all the naysayers who were accusing Jennifer of malingering and faking her injuries – doctors don’t perform surgeries on minor bumps & bruises, and a ruptured disk is not something you can easily fake, like a stomach ache.

The “OH, STFU, Already” Award: Brooke Burke, asking Jennifer how her body was holding up no less than 500 times in a 2 hour period.

Heidi: Brooke, if she didn’t confess that she was going to fall apart the first three times you asked her, I doubt you were going to trick her into giving it all away the last 15 times you asked. The only time I really got that she was hurt was the look on her husband’s face after her first dance – dude was less than happy. Even my mother – the sage – mentioned it: “Her poor husband was soo worried.” I was like, “Mom, I have a really bad cold (to the point of not leaving my couch in four days) and you’re in paroxysms of guilt because you didn’t call me yesterday to see how I was – of course he was worried about her dancing with a ruptured disk.” But seriously, every time Brooke spoke to her, that was all she had – “Jennifer, how’s your body holding up??” She did manage to try Derek one of those times – “Derek, how scared were you?” I bet she about popped a blood vessel when Derek turned it into a “oh, everyone’s scared but I’m just glad we’re all here…yadda yadda PC Derek PC verbiage….” LOL. Poor Brooke – that had to be a frustrating night with no one cooperating and giving her the dirt/scoop she so desperately wanted. :-)

Courtney: She’s like a discount parakeet at the pet store – y’know, the one that can only repeat a few useless phrases, and is incapable of learning new ones? I think I’ll just refer to her as Brooke the parakeet from now on. For the love of all things sacred Brooke, please – either improve or quit. You drive me bananas with your inane questions and subpar improvisational interviewing skills.

Heidi: LOL – but it did lead to a pretty good funny from Tom B. After the last scores and Derek’s PC response, Brooke says, “Oh, it just got very serious in here.” To which Tom replied, “That’s them SERIOUS??” I LOL’ed – dude kinda poked Brooke with a “don’t listen to the voices in your head” stick with that one. Maybe he’s trying to train her in improv? We can hope. :-)

The “Pardon me, I was just hit by a truck” Award – Christina Aguilera

Heidi: I love Xtina, but the saying “rode hard and put away wet” kept running through my mind when watching her perform her first song. What’s going on here? The woman can undoubtedly sing, no question. She was just lookin’ a bit rough on this evening. “Beautiful” was beautifully done though – great song.

Courtney: I think the phrase that came to mind when I saw her had something to do with a train (those with dirtier minds can probably figure that one out ;-)). I mean, eee gad…did she even brush her hair before hitting the stage? And while I still think she’s a great singer, she seems to be developing a case of Mariah & Whitney-itis – her voice is sounding a little worn live, compared to what it used to be. Maybe she was having an off-night – who knows. But I have heard rumors floating around about her possibly being pregnant – and at first I brushed them off as nonsense, but I did go and see Burlesque last week and it is a bit peculiar how different her body looks in it. She’s definitely curvier now. Who knows. It was nice to see some familar faces performing with her on the results show though – anyone catch Chelsea Traille from SYTYCD season 4? Or Paula Van Oppen, the chick who turned down a spot in the top 20 of SYTYCD season 6 in order to do this movie? Or Tyne Stecklein of This is It fame who performed on DWTS last season with Teddy Forance? If only Julianne had been there. *sigh*

Heidi: What the hell is that thing?? It’s not lace, exactly, but it’s some kind of sparkly see-though body stocking with fringe attached over a bra and panties. Can I just vote her off the show for that outfit?? Girlfriend’s taste in costuming just seems to get worse and worse as the weeks go by. I’m pretty sure it’s possible to be edgy without being…..THAT. Whatever that is.

Courtney: Now while I don’t want to sway the voting of the end-of-season awards in any way, I have to say – I will be very surprised if Lacey does not win the worst dressed award. I mean, that black thing she was wearing…I mean, I don’t even quite know what to call it. Lady Gaga meets Elvira meets potential S&M costume reject pile? Ai ai ai. But I guess it’s what we’ve come to expect from Lacey!

Tom Bergeron Line ‘O the Night: “We don’t give them food, water…The Ballroom is like a veal pen”

Heidi: Smart is sexy, fer sure. :-) So, raise your hand if you didn’t get the veal joke. I got it, but I always wonder if I’m alone in getting some of his obscure comments. That’s a slight paraphrase by the way. Court accidentally deleted the full thing and I’m too lazy to go back for an exact quote. :-)

Courtney: *shudder* I don’t really want to think about veal in graphic detail, but I do give Tom props for yet another apt, cerebral reference.

The OTT Production Tick of Finale Night: The scores, all about the scores and nothing but the scores.

Heidi: Between them explaining the scoring, showing us the scores and Brooke asking about Jennifer’s body ad nauseum, we could have had one hell of a drinking game on Tuesday night. The hangover would have been murder. :-) I mean, has DWTS ever seemed MORE defensive than it was this season?? Between “boo gate”, “maks gate”, etc. and the scoring issues, they are just bizarrely defensive. Suck it up, Conrad. Quit buying into your own hype and just enjoy the buzz. Who cares if they were booing Palin or not? Most who watch the show regularly know that wasn’t the case. The scoring is very clearly explained on the website and the press are too stupid to get it, then screw ‘em. Being so defensive on both issues makes it seem like you WERE playing politics, and not in a good way.

Courtney: Why didn’t they just have Conrad walk center stage holding a sign that had in bold caps “WE ARE NOT RIGGING THE VOTING!” Because methinks the show doth protest too much – the more energy you put into explaining the voting & scoring process, the more we wonder if you really are hiding something nefarious. Let it be, powers that be!

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble. Check out some of my other work at pureamericasgottalent.com!

First up, did you see Derek and Cheryl on “Live with Regis and Kelly” yesterday? If not, you can see their fun interview and dance in the videos below. Thanks to Heidi and Pure Derek Hough for these.

Do you love watching Derek’s faces when he dances like I do? :)

Corky posted this fun interview on his Twitter last night of he and Florence getting interviewed after the Finale show. She is so cute!

In some more serious news, Access Hollywood is reporting that Jennifer’s “next move” is surgery. Jennifer told them that she would take care of the injury she sustained last Monday night before Tuesday’s finale show. She plans to have the surgery this week or sometime next week. Check her out. She’s so brave and says it won’t be a big deal.

Kyle Massey reveals his future plans too to Access Hollywood. I have a feeling this isn’t the last we will see of this funny guy.

Karina revealed more of her marriage plans to fiancé Brad Penny on Access Hollywood this week. She is as giddy as ever.

Lastly, Julianne Hough was interview by YDR while attending the Red carpet for “Burlesque”. She answered some questions about her career, family, DWTS, and love life “. Here is a take. Be sure to read the link for more.

Where are you coming from? I was in Nashville for a day, which was great because I was home. I missed my sister’s birthday, so I got to take her out and do a whole girly spa day.

You have a pretty big family. Yes. In my immediate (family) it’s not too bad. There (are) five kids. My parents split up and remarried, so there (are) 14 kids, which means there are probably 23 nieces and nephews. (Laughs) It’s kind of confusing.

You spent a lot of time in Europe studying dance as a kid. What was that like? Going over there as a 10-year-old, you think they are still going to be wearing big dresses and using horse-drawn carriages. I was so disappointed when everybody drove cars and was on trains. But it was a great experience. I really think I’m where I’m at today because of it.

What was it like to land “DWTS?” When (producers) asked me to do the show, I first said, “no,” because I wanted to act and sing. It was such a great opportunity. In my first two seasons, I got to be with two great athletes (who) really listened to me. (Laughs)

Your brother Derek Hough recently won “DWTS” with Jennifer Grey. Did you watch? It was exciting, but it’s kind of depressing. We were both tied for two (wins). Now he’s got three. It’s not fair. (Laughs) I was shooting “Footloose” this season, so I couldn’t watch every day. I tried to YouTube him.

What did you think of Bristol Palin? There seemed to be a lot of controversy about her this season. Apparently, I’ve said a lot of it. My foot gets in my mouth every time I say anything. I can understand why she (was) in the competition so long because people vote for who they want to vote for. But I definitely think there were (other) people who probably should have been in the final.

Ok, that is it for now in media out there. If you haven’t done so yet, please VOTE in our “Pure DWTS End Of Season Awards” >>>> HERE !! It’s too fun. Let your voice be heard on everything DWTS this Season. ;)

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud.

The DWTS fun continues. First up, Erin Andrews was interviewed about the finale this week by Movie Line. She discusses the judges’ weird scoring, Jennifer Grey’s pain tolerance, and the best moments of the season. Here is a take.

Did you think Bristol stood a shot of winning throughout the episode?I didn’t know because of the way it had gone all season. It was so unpredictable. The only thing I thought that was very telling was just how far apart the scores were. Jennifer had really separated herself and I was just thinking to myself, I remember sitting in the audience after I got the boot last year — I remember Evan was probably five points away from Nicole, and I was sitting next to Cheryl [Burke] and she was like, “It’s too much. He’s not going to be able to make it up; Nicole’s going to win.” I remember looking at Kyle and Bristol’s scores and thinking, “It’s too much of a lead. I don’t think Kyle’s going to win and I don’t think Bristol’s popularity votes will matter.” But then I kept saying to myself, “It can’t be this predictable, right? It can’t be this predictable. Something’s going to happen.” So I wasn’t surprised Bristol got there. In all honesty, of all the dancers left, I think third was the best spot for her. I don’t think she danced better than Kyle or Jennifer, but I congratulate her and think third place was a huge accomplishment for her.

Watching Kyle’s freestyle, I thought, “This is something Erin will love.”I loved it. I just really love his personality and was cheering for him. The one thing I will say about Kyle in the finale — I don’t agree with his scores. I don’t think he was scored correctly at all. I thought a lot of the stuff he did in the finale was right up there with Jennifer. I do agree with Jennifer’s scores though; I thought hers were perfect. But I don’t think he was scored high enough. That bothered me.

I thought the scoring was downright mysterious. Bristol was scoring straight 9s again? What?Oh, her freestyle? She got better scores on her freestyle than I did. I said, “Wow. That’s amazing.” It’s very interesting. I would love to know from the judges where they were coming from with the scoring. Even last night, the dances they did — Kyle got an 8 from Len, and Bristol got a 9 from Len. I was just curious where he was coming from. But that’s part of the whole thing; the [producers] don’t hold the judges accountable. They don’t need to explain their scores. I just don’t think Kyle was scored high enough.

There was plenty of ridiculousness in the finale. Any particularly cuckoo moments you liked most?I thought the finalists didn’t have any ridiculous moments, but I thought the skits were hysterical. I thought the David Hasselhoff thing was great. Nothing else struck me as, “Oh my gosh, this is ridiculous.” I did love the part — once I figured it out — the watermelon thing with Jennifer Grey. I thought it was perfect. “I carried a watermelon.” That came up again and again in my mind. I loved that Kyle and Lacey did the Tootsie Roll. It was phenomenal. He’s so stinkin’ cute. I think if anything, I’m bummed out. I mean, I’m happy with Jennifer winning, and I thought she was phenomenal — particularly for someone who ruptured her disc? That must’ve been some major drugs she was on. My dad has two herniated discs in his back, and he said, “Ruptured discs? How do you even walk right now?” I give her kudos for everything she put her body through. I just don’t think the scoring difference between her and Kyle should’ve been as great as it was. But I don’t mean to take the mirror ball trophy away from her — she was phenomenal.

Mark updated his blog on USA Today. Here are his thoughts on the finale. He also speaks of his future plans which you can read more on at the link.

I think I’m ready to sleep. For a week!

After the exhaustive 14 weeks of the show, which included not one day off, I didn’t know what to do with myself on Thanksgiving. Fortunately, I was able to sleep in and spend the day with family and friends. After a nice meal, I went to see a movie with my mom and Derek (Hough). It’s great to have the time again to spend with family!

The whirlwind of Tuesday night’s finale lasted for 24 hours. Immediately following the end of the show, we did press in the ballroom. Then we hopped a plane for a red-eye flight to New York. As you can imagine, we really didn’t sleep much on the plane because of the excitement. With bloodshot eyes, we arrived and went directly to Good Morning America for our live segment. That was followed up by a visit on The View, then straight back to the airport to fly back home. I was only gone for 21 hours. That’s crazy!

When I was headed to the airport in NYC, I said goodbye to Bristol. It played out like a sad movie scene: The door closed to the car and she placed her hand on the window after we waved goodbye, and the car sped away with me looking back, Bristol getting smaller and disappearing in the horizon.

Sure that’s a little dramatic, but I’m really going to miss my time with Bristol. It’s not possible to live and experience what we went through and not remain close or miss each other afterward. This really was the most memorable season for me and I’m sad that it’s over.

Mark also posted this fun picture of himself and Derek for their “annual Christmas card noting how many championships their extended family has to its name”. He also posted a picture of his Mom, Shirley (who has helped 9 of the current DWTS pros). Be sure to see it too at the link.

Speaking of pictures, here’s one Brandy posted on her twitter of her and Maks where she said, “You will forever be my champion!! Love you so much:) ” (a little “awww” moment there :) )

Zap2it has a fun Photo Gallery up of all the best and worst moments on the show this year. Be sure to see it HERE !!!

Jennifer was also interview by Zap2it. Here is take of her talking about her injuries this week before showtime.

“I think it might have been one of those flips or kicks or splits,” Grey says, with a blue icepack slid behind her tasseled pants. “When you dance with a 25-year-old, it’s a risk you take.”

But now that show is over, so is any anxiety over the toll on her body. Thanking Derek, her family and the fans, Grey is quick to point out the small group who really kept her in the game. “My doctors kept putting me together,” she says.

Looking back on the experience, Grey says that, win or lose, she got what she wanted from the series. “The destination for me was the journey,” she says, “and in the truest since of the word, this journey was the gift… It’s so much fun, glamour and sillyniess. It’s a great gift to be part of a show that gives people so much joy.”

Lastly, don’t miss seeing this funny skif of Tom Bergeron on the Jimmy Kimmel Show this week if you missed it. “The Burden of being Tom Bergeron”. lol ;

Ok, that is all for now! Dance the day or night away whichever is best!! ;) xxx

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud.

Hi, did you get your texting and phone votes in last night? How was your experience? I had about a 15 minute delay on the phone and then I got through. However, voting on-line was a different story. It was midnight before I could finally get my votes in. If you’ve had the same issues voting on-lne or haven’t done so yet, we want to keep encouraging everyone this morning to vote at ABC.com. It’s really important to get as many votes in as you can for this competition to turn out right.

Speaking of….Tom Bergeron makes a good point about “voting” in a new interview with TV Guide. He also discussses the unpredictable season it’s been, his thoughts on the remaining couples, and more. Here is a take.

“The complaining amuses me to no end,” Bergeron says. “Whenever someone says that Bristol shouldn’t be there to me, I almost inevitably say, ‘Of course, you’re voting for…?’ And they go, ‘Yeah, I didn’t vote.’ I have no sympathy for people who are kvetching about — and this is from a gentile — who’s still there and who’s gone.

“If you want a technical dancer, watch PBS,” he continues. “It’s part dance show, part popularity contest. It always has been and always will be. If you don’t get that by Season 11, I don’t know what I have to say to you.”

Palin and her partner, Mark Ballas, will face off against front-runners Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough, and show-stoppers Kyle Massey and Lacey Schwimmer, who twice were one point shy of perfection last week. (Grey and Hough have nabbed three perfect 30s.) While Palin doesn’t have the dubious distinction of earning the lowest score of the season (that goes to Michael Bolton and Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, who each got a 12), she’s only averaged, well, an average 21 points.

Still, Bergeron can make the winning case for Sarah Palin’s daughter.

“She’s not the strongest dancer, obviously,” he says. “But she … represents what I think is the best of our show, somebody who comes Day 1 and is completely out of their element and has shown a clear growth as a dancer. And she clearly has a massive or sufficient amount of viewer support to keep her in despite low scores.”

“Is it political? I don’t know,” he says. “But that just speaks to the importance of voting.”

Palin’s run recalls that of Marie Osmond’s in Season 5. Another mediocre, average-scoring dancer, she made it to the final on the strength of votes. She finished third after her bizarre rag-doll freestyle turned more viewers off than anything else. “The freestyle isn’t always the decider, but a lot of times, momentum can stall that close to the finish,” Bergeron says. “You see couples like Drew [Lachey] and Cheryl [Burke], who set the gold standard for what a freestyle can be and, on the other end, you have Marie’s rag-doll! It was like, ‘Oh my God!’ You can make it or break it with that last image that’s burned into your retinas.”

Palin and Ballas have more to worry about than the freestyle. Grey and Hough are arguably the heavy favorites who, Bergeron says, have “rallied back” after a midseason slump. “[Grey] dealt with physical injuries, some emotional uncertainty, but she’s looking as strong as ever the past few weeks.” Massey and Schwimmer, meanwhile, are Mr. and Ms. Consistency, and they seem to be peaking at the right time.

“They haven’t hit the top or the bottom. They have been relentlessly entertaining,” Bergeron says. “My favorite moment … was watching [their] Instant Dance. They blew the roof off the place. I immediately thought, ‘Gee, I’d hate to be any of the other couples back there getting ready!’ It put the spotlight on why they’re so good as a couple. Kyle’s just a fun, charming kid with a great self-aware sense of humor.”

The Instant Dance was one of the new elements, along with new theme weeks, that Bergeron says he loved and made for a strong and, yes, unpredictable season.

But how will it all end? After kicking off the season with a surprise result, will Season 11 wrap with one too?

“I think it’s going to be very dramatic. It’s been a season where you really can’t be sure how it’s going to play out, which I thought was lacking last season. I’ve really enjoyed this season and [the producers] have done a remarkable job of keeping it fresh coming off Season 10,” Bergeron says. “I guess all I can say now is just vote.”

Mark has finally come out. He updated his blog Sunday. Here’s a take from USA Today. He writes about Bristol and what he’s thankful for. He also talks about the hatred surrounding them. (Heidi’s Note – yes, Vogue’s first sentence in this section gave me quite a start as well, if you’re asking. :-) Dude, careful of the word selection. :-) )

We have four dances this week, and you know one of them is the freestyle, which we will dance on Monday night. Another dance is the “Redemption Dance”, which is a dance chosen by the judges that they thought we could have done better at earlier in the season. I’m looking forward to that dance as well, as Bristol has come a long way since the beginning.

Aside from the show finals on Monday and Tuesday, I’m looking forward to an exciting week.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I am looking forward to the time I can spend with my family, as I am sure you all are. My mind seems to be rooted in reflection the past few days and this will be a particularly thankful Thanksgiving for me. I’ve always known and treasured the impact my mom has had on my life and during this season of DWTS, she has been my rock. With my move into my new home and the pressures that the season brings, she’s always there to lean on. Thank you, Mom!

I am so thankful to be on a show that millions of people are able to release the pressures of their everyday life while allowing us to entertain them. That really is a performer’s dream and goal, to whisk the audience away on a journey where they lose themselves and their troubles for a moment. Thanks to you all. You are the treasure in our success!

As for Bristol, she knows how thankful I am to call her my partner and friend. What Bris doesn’t know is how thankful I am for what she has taught me this season. It can be summed up in two words: determination and respect. Everyone goes through his or her own version of pain and endurance issues on the show — both the celebs and the dancers. Some pain is physical, for others it’s the pain of stress, and for some it’s the pain of having your life taken away from you as you prepare each week.

Bristol deals with a special pain of having people wanting and hoping for her to fail and dealing with hate issues no one should ever have to encounter. But probably her greatest source of pain is hearing what is said about her son. Fortunately, she has this miraculous way of dealing with it and focusing on getting better each week and proving to herself, that despite all that noise, she is a woman to be respected.

Our country was built on people taking advantage of the basic freedom to do everything in our power to excel with the God-given talents with which we have been blessed. During this season, I’ve seen firsthand how those rights shouldn’t be taken for granted, much less allowing others to take that basic human right away from you. Thank you, Bristol, for helping me understand how important that freedom is.

This season we’ve been challenged physically, most certainly verbally by the haters, questioned whether we are good enough, tough enough, and worthy of staying in the competition. Heading into the finals, I’m proud to say we answered them all. Amongst all the controversy, people have let us know how much they appreciate and respect us for simply doing that and how it has inspired them in their own lives. Thank you to all who have supported us on our journey. I hope you have been as rewarded for it as I have been.

There is a nice interview with Julianne Hough at Teen Television (that she must have given last week before the Final 4 show). She’s going to be starring in the new movie “Burlesque” along with Christina Aguilera and Cher which opens up in theatres this week. She talks about the movie as well as Dancing With The Stars, some thoughts on Bristol, and who she’d like to see win (and of course, that is her brother Derek and Jen). Here is a take.

TeenTelevision: Was doing Burlesque as much work as “Dancing With the Stars”?
Julianne Hough: Yes! The difference is with “Dancing With the Stars”, we choreographed, we danced, we taught it to the partner and then we were like their therapists. Then we were doing dances that, for the star, were hard but not that challenging for me. So coming to do this was like getting back to the grind and really pushing myself to my limit to do as much as I could do keeping up with the other professional girl dancers. It was really fun for me.

TeenTelevision: What did “Dancing With the Stars” exactly do for you?
Julianne:It opened every door imaginable. I moved out to L.A. when I was eighteen to sing and act. But, the dancing was an avenue to get to where I want to be. It was a wonderful opportunity and I just went for it. I never realized the success it was going to have and especially the opportunities it was going to bring for me.

ABC TeenTelevision: When did you first get really noticed and kicked up a notch on the show?
Julianne:It was my first season with Apollo [Anton Ohno, Olympic Gold medalist] and it was our Samba. I came out and was wearing that tiger outfit. That was like the coming out party for Julianne! After that number I felt a little more on the radar. I got calls. For Maxim magazine, I remember, I was like ‘Dad won’t approve of that too much.’ That was the first thing I did after I came out in that outfit.

TeenTelevision: Have you kept up with the show? Who do you think will win?
Julianne:Yeah. I was shooting Footloose so it was very hard to watch each week. But, I would catch it here and there. Now that it’s the last four, I can’t believe it.

TeenTelevision: I can’t believe Bristol Palin is still in it.
Julianne:That’s the thing I was a little confused about. That definitely goes to show what that show is about. It’s not necessarily about the dancing. It’s about the fan base and the people watching. I can definitely testify to that. I would not be where I’m today without the fans of the show. They’ve followed me since day one. I hope my brother (Derek Hough) and Jennifer (Grey) win. I think she’s fantastic. But, Brandy’s pretty good too. I hope my brother wins because I’m biased but, at the same time, I kinda hope he doesn’t because right now we are tied. We both have two. So, maybe he’ll have three. Nah. I’m kidding.

Kym Johnson has something very special planned for The Hoff tonight. Here is a take from Access Hollywood.

“I’ve been working with him all week. We have something very special planned,” Kym told AccessHollywood.com. “We may have been the first ones out, but this routine is gonna blow everyone away.”

While the Hoff’s clunky ballroom moves got him the boot during Week 1 of “DWTS,” all the way back in September, Kym said that during his time away, David’s learned some new moves and that the superstar isn’t afraid to use them.

“Right now, with the routine that we’ve got, he’s coming along really well and I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people,” she said. “He’s having a lot of fun with it. He has me laughing the whole rehearsal.”

Re-teaming with David in preparation for the finale, has brought back thoughts for Kim of what could have been with the former “America’s Got Talent “judge.

“I just had so many fun things I wanted to do [on Season 11 with David] because he’s such a big personality and he’s not afraid to sort of have a laugh and just put himself out there,” she said.

Sunday night, several of our Pros (Maks, Cheryl, Tony, Mark, and Karina) showed up at the American Music Awards. Be sure to see Haveyouheard.net and Getty Images for more pics. Special thanks to PureDWTS fan Sally for the Getty link. ;)

There was a little spread on Good Morning America Monday with Robin Roberts turing 50. In honor of her birthday, she’s decided to take some dance lessons from Maks and his brother Val. Maks and her Cha Cah in this video. There is also a snippet with Jennifer and Derek. More to come for that dance lesson today on GMA.

Speaking of Derek and Jennifer, here they are on E-Online rehearsing for their final dances, “savoring the last moments”, and Derek as humble as ever.

Here is more rehearsal sneak peaks from Good Morning America. Special thanks to PureDWTSfan Maddy for this heads up.

Ok All! That’s it for the media before the show. Backstage interviews from after the show coming up next! ;)

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud.

Could Gambling Skews be playing with the Dancing With The Stars Results as well as all of the other things we’ve discussed? According to On-line Casinos, this could be a real possibility. Here are some takes from them.

Online gambling, when it comes to some niche wagering has some major advantages over other traditional forms of betting. The biggest advantage is the speed at which one can access information that can lead to an informed and possibly better bet.

When, for example, it comes to sports betting the fact that you can watch the play and place bets on the outcome at some online sports books makes for a more exciting experience because of the immediate results.
Today’s world is all about the now and with mobile online wagering the now can be accessed anywhere in the world at any time.

There is some controversy over the use of online web sites for betting purposes one such example is entertainment betting and the Dancing with the Stars issue in the USA that has come to light recently. People who follow the show are able to speed dial their votes for the winner which can skew the winning results even by a small percentage the idea of manipulating results becomes apparent.. It looks like the show is more about popularity than talent. American Idol has cleaned up their show with actual talent this year, making for a less biased competition. Dancing with the Stars voting is allowed up to five votes by phone or text for up to 30 minutes after the show. Online voting through ABC.com allows voting until 11 a.m. ABC’s site requires people to register their email address, speculation is that people are using fake ones.

Though Jennifer Grey remains the -200 favorite to win Season 11 of Dancing With The Stars, Bristol Palin’s odds of winning the final have been slashed to even, meaning that a $10 bet would pay out $10 profit. Kyle Massey would pay $40 for every $10 bet with a victory.

There has been much talk about Bristol, the daughter of 2008 Vice Presidential GOP running mate Sarah Palin, making it this deep into the competition when she routinely placed among the bottom three by judges. Viewer phone call voting accounts for 50 percent of the results. Theories include everything from young teen girls voting for Bristol en mass to a Tea Party uprising.

Some have gone as far as to say that, if Bristol Palin wins this installment of Dancing With The Stars, the show will be ruined.

“It’s not as if she is a bad dancer,” says Payton O’Brien, Senior Editor of the Gambling911.com website, which has watched the odds for Bristol shorten from around 45/1 to even. “She has dramatically improved week after week. But is she in the same league as Jennifer Grey? No. But she has not beaten Grey yet either.”

Patrik Jonnson of the Christian Science Monitor perhaps offered the best observation yet:

Bristol Palin and and her mother, Sarah Palin, both have weaknesses as candidates. On “Dancing With the Stars,” Bristol has repeatedly received the lowest scores from the judges. In public-opinion polls, about two-thirds of Americans say Sarah is unqualified to be president.

Yet here they are, Bristol and her warm, slightly baffled grin now in the final of “DWTS” – a feat so incomprehensible to some that they see foul play at work. And Sarah is drawing record audiences to “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” to watch her shoot skeet with a smile, even as she sends tremors through the blogosphere by simply asserting that she could beat President Obama in 2012.

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud.

First up, Bristol and Mark and their reaction to being safe lastnight;

Here is Kurt and Anna and their reaction on being eliminated. He’s a “Gentleman” as always;

Jennifer and Derek so thankful they are safe;

TV Guide interviewed them as well;

Here is Maks and Brandy talking about everything that happened this week and thankful to still be safe. He remarked that everything is ok and “peachy” with he and Carrie Anne now (lol). But is it? Hmmm…

Maks and Brandy again. This time with TV Guide interviewing them;

Lastly, here is Kurt and Anna on Good Morning America today. I loved what he said about embracing everything that makes this show called “Dancing With The Stars”. Very classy as always.

Stay tuned. We have more things to share coming up. Courtney and Heidi will have their Cheesecake for us as well. Would you like cherries or strawberries on top? :D

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud.

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud.

Well, there are times I wonder why I bother and this is one of those times. But then, I remind myself that the math really wasn’t as favorable to Rick as it seemed. Bristol only needed 11k votes (1.09%) and Kyle only needed 5,500 votes per million votes cast (or 0.55%) – chump change.

That does NOT mean that Bristol (or Kyle) does not have a huge fanbase – they could indeed have large fanbases. We just can’t really be sure of that. If either Jennifer or Brandy goes home tonight, it will show that their fanbase is relatively sizeable.

So, where do we stand? Well, the spread is a little bit better this week (if your name is Kyle, Jennifer or Brandy, that is), but still not enough to guarantee anyone safety.

The Judges Scores and Percentages

Place

Celebrity

Score

Percentage

1.

Jennifer

57

21.51

2.

Brandy

57

21.51

3.

Kyle

56

21.13

4.

Kurt

48

18.11

5.

Bristol

47

17.74

As you can see, Brandy and Jennifer are a good 3.77 percent higher than Bristol. I’m inclined to think that the two of them are safe – but this season, you never can tell. If one of them goes, I’m leaning towards Brandy just because of Jennifer’s history. I’m hoping neither of them goes home, though – that would be a real shame. On the other hand, if Jennifer went home I could relax on Monday nights. :-)

Bristol and Kurt are our bottom dwellers this week; lets start with what it would take for Bristol to stay. For Bristol to stay, the following would have to happen:

– Bristol needs 3,800 more votes per 1 million votes cast than Kurt.
– If Kurt has a nice big fanbase and she can’t catch him, she would need 34k more votes per million than Kyle for her to stay and for Kyle to leave.

For Kurt AND Bristol to stay and for Kyle to go home, the following things BOTH have to happen:

– Kurt has to get 30,200 more votes per 1 million votes cast, AND;
– Bristol has to get 34,000 more votes per 1 million votes cast.

That’s a lot of votes, normally. If they succeed at that, Kyle goes home. What would it take for Brandy or Jennifer to go home? The following:

– One of the ladies gets ONE more vote than the other, AND;
– Kyle gets 3,800 more votes per million votes cast than the loser between Brandy and Jennifer, AND;
– Kurt gets 34,000 more votes per million votes cast than the loser between Brandy and Jennifer, AND;
– Bristol gets 37,750 more votes per million votes cast than the loser between Brandy and Jennifer.

How the heck likely do you think this is?? Well, ordinarily I would say “not very likely” because the bottom two really aren’t that good at dancing, with Bristol edging out Kurt. But there are a WHOLE lot of variables at play here. We have producers that insist on showing Jennifer in pain and weak. We have Maks getting into fights with Carrie Ann for which he has since apologized (some claim that Derek and Shannon went home after they got really mad in confessional – I argue she was going to go anyway, but how do you know?). We have a youngster that is learning how to dance which appeals to some segments and who has a mom who is very popular in some circles (but also reviled in many others). We have a very popular football player and a little-known charmer. Who the hell knows who’s going to go home?

Another little issue at play here is – when good dancers go home before their time, what do their fans do? This isn’t a few weeks ago when Kurt needed 48k and got it – it’s a different environment. So, are the Audrina fans going to vote Brandy and Jennifer because they’re mad that Kurt and Bristol – lesser dancers – are still there? How about Rick fans? I think we can be sure that some percentage of those voters are going to vote for someone else. I would be willing to bet that they vote for either Kyle, Jennifer or Brandy.

For all the reasons above, I’m going to say that either Kurt or Bristol will go home. We’ve had so-called “shocking” eliminations two weeks in a row – it’s time for something to work out in a normal way. :-) That’s my hope. I’ll probably be wrong.

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

Well, it was definitely a night for “diverse” thoughts and mixed reactions. We saw a lot of “Wow’s” last night and a lot of “boos” too. Do you feel a lot of tension like I do? lol This competition is so stiff this Season. Overall, I was surprised how much I loved the “Instant Dance”. The celebrities rose to the occasion for the most part. Would you like to see the show bring the “Instant Dance” back in future seasons? It sure made things interesting, didn’t it?

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud.

First up, we have a new rehearsal video of Lacey and Kyle and, as usual, them goofing around from ET Online. There is some fast footwork here. Look at it closely without the sound and any distractions.

Here is Brandy and Maks as well from ET Online. Brandy is really scared of the dances tonight as well she should be. I like what Maks says about being the “puppetmaster” this year (lol).

And here is Kurt in a new TV Guide interview. He says he is “dumbfounded” by the instant dance and more. Here is a take. Be sure to read the link for more from him.

TVGuide.com: This week, you have two dances and the Instant Dance for one of them. I think getting your music 20 minutes before the show is kind of sadistic. What do you think?Warner: I guess, being the celebrity, I don’t really understand why. It’s hard enough to learn two dances — well, it’s hard learning one — but to learn two different kinds and to throw this wrench into it, I don’t understand the purpose. For me, it’s so hard to hear the music because I’ve never done that before. Maybe it’ll be an advantage because I don’t hear the music anyway, or maybe it’s going to be harder since I usually pick up some of the timing by hearing music during the week. I’m just kind of dumbfounded of what the purpose is. It’s just like, “We’re going to try to freak them out at the last minute.”

TVGuide.com: How does Anna feel about it?Warner: She kind of feels the same way, like, “I don’t really understand it.” We’ll make it work and go with it. I think the big question is: When you get your music, does it mean you adjust your routine? For us, it’s not like we can go, “OK, take Part 3 and make it 1.” You’re working on muscle memory, too. But we’re all in the same boat.

TVGuide.com: The judges have been harsh on your technique — last week was your head sticking forward. Were you glad Emmitt pointed out that it’s a habit of football players?Warner: [Laughs] Yeah. So much of what athletes do is about momentum and moving the whole body in the same direction, and so much of dance is the opposite. I always tell Anna, “That’s not right. It’s counterproductive.” My upper body’s twisting one way and my legs move in another direction. … I don’t expect to be a perfect dancer. I have no problem being criticized, especially the other night. The way they did it was, “You were great, but you can work on this.” It’s like, “OK, no problem.” I think that’s what the show should be about, pointing out things that you can really apply for the next week to try to get better, but everybody leaves with a good feeling about their performance.

Speaking of Kurt and Anna, here is a cute and funny picture she posted on her Facebook page.

Mark updated his Journal on USA Today with some hints about their dances tonight. I wonder what this “secret” trip was all about?

It’s 6:00 a.m. and it’s been a long week. Actually, it’s been a long month … okay, it’s been a long season! I’m checking in from the airport t, but my destination is a secret. Bristol and I are traveling for the show this weekend, but it’s a short trip as I’m gone for only 30 hours or so.

After we rehearse all day and night Friday and all morning and afternoon on Saturday, I fly back to Los Angeles Saturday evening. I’m heading back for my fitting for Monday’s show, and also to see Florence (Henderson) and The Machine perform at The Wiltern Theatre.

Remember a few weeks back when they performed on DWTS? I’m a huge fan and can’t wait for this show on Saturday night.

Last entry, I told you that our first dance for Week 8 is the Argentine Tango. We were in the dance studio choreographing and learning that routine for eight hours Wednesday, followed up by another long day on Thursday. I now know what our second dance is — the Samba.

While Bristol picked up the Argentine Tango quickly (remember how well she did with a similar dance two weeks ago with Tango, earning us the encore?) the Samba provides a new challenge to her.

We learn of our music at the beginning of the rehearsal week, but we won’t know our Samba song until 20 minutes before we have to dance it live in front of 20 million people. Think about that for a moment. It’s genuinely terrifying to a non-dancer. But I’m used to it because that’s how all ballroom competitions are. I try to downplay not having the music in rehearsal though, because it’s really not a big deal. Bristol has musicality, so I know she can adapt to whatever song they give us.

Don’t miss these two on The Ellen Show today on NBC before the show.

Lastly, this past week, KiisFM in LA gave away dance lessons by Cheryl and Derek to some lucky winners listening to their station. They’ve disabled the embedding, but you can see a great video here:: KIIS FM Video !! Thanks to Heidi and Pure Derek Hough for this information. We have to post a picture too because they are just too cute.

Ok, here’s to the show tonight Guys. Get your reviews ready and be sure to post them in Courtney’s “Power Rankings” post afterwards.xxx

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud.